The present invention relates generally to a laser system, and more specifically, to a method and system for optimizing a laser system.
As part of the manufacturing process, manufacturers of laser systems typically perform quality control or acceptance testing on a laser system before such system is shipped out from the manufacturing plant. Such quality control typically focuses on whether a laser system is functioning properly within certain minimal operating parameters. The primary concern of the manufacturers is to ensure that the laser systems being shipped out are operational.
A laser system may be used for many different purposes or applications. For some applications, crude performance by the laser system is sufficient, and the incremental benefits derived from optimizing the performance of the laser system are often marginal and not necessary. From a cost perspective, there is therefore little incentive for the manufacturers to optimize the performance of a laser system due to the many potentially different uses of the laser system. Hence, little to no attention is given to the level of performance of a laser system beyond the minimal operating parameters.
In some applications, however, the optimization of the laser system would be desirable. For example, a laser system may be optimized for use in connection with a specific type of optical fiber or receiver to enhance overall system performance. Since a laser system provides the light source which is used to generate the optical signals in an optical communication system, the performance of the laser system is important to the optical communication system in many different respects. For example, the performance of the laser system may affect the quality of the optical signals being generated. Even though a laser system may be functioning properly within its operating parameters, the quality of the optical signals may still be improved if the performance of the laser system is optimized.
Furthermore, the performance of a laser system may also affect the distance which the generated optical signals are able to travel. Improving the range of the generated optical signals reduces the need to install costly signal-enhancing equipment such as repeaters or optical amplifiers. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and system which is capable of optimizing the performance of a laser system.